The lesson of the "hot pot"

1 Corinthians 10:11 – 13 “These are all warning markers—danger!—in our history books, written down so that we don't repeat their mistakes. Our positions in the story are parallel—they at the beginning, we at the end—and we are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's useless. Cultivate God-confidence.”

Being a parent is one of the greatest joys I have ever known. It is such a blessing to watch my little guy (he is 7) grow up and learn new and exciting things. His eyes sparkle and his entire face lights up when he discovers something new. “WOW! Mom, would you look at this place?” were the first words he uttered when we went through the gates at Busch Gardens (a theme park in Williamsburg, VA) for the first time. “Oh yeah! I’m gonna go on all the water rides!” he confidently told his cousin as we walked through the gates. He had only heard about a few of the water rides from his friend next door – but he didn’t care. He was going to ride every one of them.

 

As my eyes read through 1 Corinthians 10, verses 11 – 13 took me back to that first trip to Busch Gardens. My son was confident about the water rides based on what he had heard from his friend. His friend had a good experience, so he just knew he would too – and he did. He enjoyed every one of the water rides…and a few others as well.

Just as easily as the Busch Gardens thought ran through my head, another thought popped in too. We learn at an early age not to touch a hot stove. I bet your parents used to “shew” you away from the kitchen when they were fixing dinner because they knew the “dangers” that lurked there for little hands that didn’t know better. I know mine did. Perhaps one of them had touched a hot pot and didn’t want you to do the same. They had learned a very valuable lesson from a past experience or through the experience of others.

God has given us His Word so that through it, we may learn valuable lessons and not make the same mistakes people throughout history have made. The pressures of today make it so easy to forget the lessons of the past. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where someone is trying to teach you something? “Don’t touch the pot on the stove, it’s hot and you will burn your hand” a concerned mother says to her son. “MOM! I know!” replies the son. The words “I know” roll off the tongue in hasty response. Have you ever had conversations like these? Perhaps you have been the “I know” person. I sure have. But did I really know? I think the answer is NO. I was just being confident – self confident.

 We are bound to make the same mistakes if we don’t learn from the lessons of the past. As I continue my journey through life, I can’t rely on my own confidence to get me through the various seasons. It is up to me to develop an unshakable God-confidence. When I think I am strong enough to handle anything that is thrown at me, I will find myself flat on my face if I don’t put my full confidence in God. Confidence in myself to weather the storms of life will leave me battered and torn like a dingy on a raging sea. I place my confidence in God and allow Him to strengthen me. 1 Corinthians 10:13 reminds me of this truth

“No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.”